Coding, Capacity, Duration (P14 - P16)

• What is Miller's magic number regarding the capacity of short-term memory (STM)?


  Seven, plus or minus two
• What does chunking refer to in the context of memory?

  Chunking is combining individual letters or numbers into larger, more meaningful units.
• How can the digits 20031987 be chunked for easier recall?

  It can be chunked into the meaningful years 2003 and 1987.
• What type of coding is generally used in short-term memory (STM)?

  Acoustic coding
• What type of coding is generally used in long-term memory (LTM)?

  Semantic coding
• What was the focus of Baddeley's (1966) investigation?


  The investigation focused on coding in STM and LTM.
• What were the three types of word lists used in Baddeley's study?

  Acoustically similar, acoustically dissimilar, semantically similar, and semantically dissimilar.
• What conclusion did Baddeley draw from his study regarding STM and LTM?

  STM relies on acoustic coding, while LTM relies on semantic coding.
• What is a limitation of Baddeley's study?

  It lacks ecological validity and does not consider other methods of coding.
• What did Peterson and Peterson (1959) investigate?


  The duration of short-term memory using trigrams.
• What was the method used by Peterson and Peterson in their study?

  Participants were shown trigrams and asked to recall them after counting backwards.
• What were the results of Peterson and Peterson's study regarding recall after different intervals?

  Participants recalled about 80% of trigrams after 3 seconds, but only about 10% after 18 seconds.
• What conclusion did Peterson and Peterson draw about the duration of STM?

  Information can stay in STM for about 18 seconds.
• What is a limitation of Peterson and Peterson's study?

  It lacks ecological validity due to the artificial nature of the task.
• What did Bahrick et al (1975) investigate?


  Very long-term memories (VLTMs) in a natural setting.
• What method did Bahrick et al use in their study?


  Participants were asked to list names of ex-classmates and then recognize them from photos.
• What were the results of Bahrick et al's study regarding recognition and recall?

  Recognition was better than recall, with 90% accuracy for names and faces after 15 years.
• What conclusion did Bahrick et al draw from their study?


  The study provides evidence of VLTMs in a real-life setting, with better recognition than recall.
• What is a limitation of Bahrick et al's study?


  It is difficult to control all variables in a real-life study, affecting reliability.
• What did Jacobs (1887) investigate?

  The capacity of short-term memory.
• What method did Jacobs use in his study?

  Participants were presented with a string of letters or digits to recall in the same order.
• What were the results of Jacobs' study regarding the capacity of STM?

  Participants recalled about 9 digits and about 7 letters on average.
• What conclusion did Jacobs draw about the capacity of STM?

  STM has a limited storage capacity of 5-9 items.
• What is a limitation of Jacobs' research?

  It lacks ecological validity as it is not a real-life task.
• What are the three types of memory according to psychologists?

  • Sensory memory
  • Short-term memory (STM)
  • Long-term memory (LTM)
• What are the characteristics of sensory memory?

  • Temporarily stores information from senses
  • Disappears quickly unless attended to
  • Limited capacity and very limited duration
  • Information is coded based on the sense (visual, auditory, tactile)
• What are the characteristics of short-term memory (STM)?

  • Limited capacity
  • Limited duration
  • Coding is usually acoustic
• What are the characteristics of long-term memory (LTM)?

  • Unlimited capacity
  • Theoretically permanent duration
  • Coding is usually semantic
  • Different types: episodic, semantic, procedural
• What are the types of long-term memory?

  • Episodic memory: events experienced
  • Semantic memory: facts and knowledge
  • Procedural memory: skills and actions
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of laboratory experiments in memory research?

  Strengths:

  • High control over variables
  • Easy to replicate

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • Lacks ecological validity
  • May not represent real-world memory tasks
• What are the implications of meaningful information on memory recall?

  • Meaningful information may be recalled better
  • Rehearsal can increase recall rates
  • Results may not generalize to other types of information
• Retrieval cues are important to retrieve information from long-term memory.
• Sensory memory refers to the initial registration of information from our senses.
• Memory can be divided into three types: sensory memory, short-term memory (STM), and long-term memory (LTM).
• Long-term memory has unlimited capacity but can be forgotten over time if not rehearsed or retrieved.
• The hippocampus is involved in the formation of long-term memories.
• Episodic memory is used for the recollection of personal experiences and specific events.
• The hippocampus is involved in the formation of new memories.
• Semantic memory involves general knowledge about the world, such as facts, ideas, and concepts.
• Procedural memory is responsible for knowing how to do things, like riding a bike or tying shoelaces.